He is the bestower of mastery over all hosts, the wielder of illusion, and the knower of both the Vedas and the Vedanta. Born as the son of Katyayani, he is worshipped by Brahma himself and is renowned as the destroyer of obstacles. He dispels the fear of worldly existence, standing broad-chested as the supporter of the earth, his very presence a remover of all impediments. His neck is mighty, and he is exceedingly delighted by offerings of sweet modakas. He is fond of the sacred city of Varanasi, dignified and profound, riding upon his faithful mouse. He dwells in the cave, the son of Vishnu’s daughter, bestowing place and steadfastness to his devotees. Supremely prosperous and satisfied, pure and crowned, he is dear to Vallabha and fond of the fourteenth day, ever worthy of honor, resolute, and filled with boundless vigor. Inconceivable is his nature; sometimes he is seated with a pair of lions, at times assuming the form of a child. Steadfast and foremost among the powerful, he is endowed with immeasurable strength. He is the soul of all beings, their benefactor and healer, with a great belly and immense intellect. He is the means, the remover of death, and the dispeller of all clusters of sin. He wields the thunderbolt that bursts forth, the mighty slayer of demons, protector of the distressed. He moves among spirits and ghosts, his form is pure intelligence, composed of mind itself. His body is ego, he is the Puruṣa of the Sāṅkhya philosophy, his nature woven from the three qualities. His form is the subtle elements, the essence of the senses, the soul of all beings, the subduer of all. He stands beyond the three impurities, free from the three states of consciousness; though formless, he assumes many forms, a celestial musician, and one who possesses the might of serpents. He is the single-tusked one of great speed, commander of armies, lord of the gods, creator of the universe, the seed of the cosmos, the seven hundred, fortune, remover of wealth, steadfastness, and wisdom. He dries up all things, subtle as the wind, perfectly unmoving; he is the destroyer, creator, sustainer, and the one who abides in dissolution. His form is universal, with faces in all directions. The Atharvaśīrṣa is his head, the Yajur his arms, the Ṛg his eyes. He is the maker of poetry, the giver of instruction, and the knower of etymology. He assumes the form of Śeṣa, is foremost, embodying the essence of the sound-Brahman. He is endowed with discernment, bears the conch, and is ever devoted to the vow of truth. He is of great austerity, terrible in penance, the giver of all, of fearsome valor; bestower of all wealth, all-pervading, and his voice resounds as deep as thunderclouds. He is prosperous, the bestower of beings, enjoyer of pleasures, adorned and affectionate to Shankara, devoted to the worship of Shambhu, giver of liberation, and the fire that consumes worldly existence. He is truth, ascetic, the form to be meditated upon, the embodiment of great action; he is both the collective and the individual, turned away from the five sheaths. He is the repository of radiance, the form of the universe, bearing all moving and unmoving bodies, the giver of life, the embodiment of knowledge, united with the form of sound, and imperishable. He is the origin of elements, of fiery nature, without parts, pure, abiding as the immutable, conscious, Rudra, knower of the field, the person, and wise. Though he stands without support, he is the sustainer; though formless, he is the creator, facing all directions. His form is beyond reasoning, he is the younger brother of Skanda, radiant like the sun, of great brilliance. He is the taker of sacrifices, the performer of sacrifices, giver of the fruits of sacrifice, protector of sacrifice, composed of sacrifice itself, and the destroyer of Daksha’s sacrifice. He is the one with a curved trunk, of great body, shining like ten million suns; single-tusked, dark and tawny-eyed, formidable, and of smoky complexion. He wields an axe, is likened to a jackal, a leader, with ears like winnowing fans; golden-wombed, with a beautiful face, bestower of prosperity, and giver of all accomplishments. His complexion is golden, his limbs like gold, his soul vast, with the radiance of sandalwood. His own limbs and eyes shine, he is ever blissful, the embodiment of all worlds and their perceptions. He is Indra, the victorious one, smoke-bannered, fire, worthy of worship, destroyer of forest fires; complete bliss, supreme bliss, the ancient supreme person. He holds a pot, is associated with a pitcher, sometimes hunchbacked, satisfied by offerings of fish and meat. He is composed of constellations, stars, and planets, assuming the form of time, lord of the universe. Powerful, beloved at the beginning of the lunar fortnight, the second, established in non-duality, of three forms, the third fire, of triple form, of triple nature. He is the god beloved on the fourth day, the one who leads across, whose voice is heard on the fifth day, who enjoys the six tastes, unborn, the sixth, and the year of sixty. His movement is through the seven streams, he is the essence, lord of the seventh day, desired, bringing joy on the eighth, free from pain, honored by devotion on the ninth day. He is worshipped by the lords of the ten directions, the tenth, Brahma, swift, the soul of the eleven, leader of the hosts, and revered in the twelve pairs. Praised in the thirteen syllables, dear to the gods of the fourteen worlds, extolled by the fourteen Indras, his form is full of bliss on the full moon day. He is the new moon and the full moon, the vision and the seer, the forest-dweller, lord of sages, silent, his speech sweet, the root of all words, embodied, and his vehicle is the cloud. He is the great elephant, conqueror of anger and enemies, refuge of victory, fierce, dear to Rudra, golden, son of Rudra, and destroyer of evil. He is dear to Bhava and Bhavānī, bearer of burdens, creator of beings, skilled in Gandharva arts, unimpeded, Vaikuṇṭha, and served by Viṣṇu. He is the slayer of Vṛtra, remover of obstacles, strong, destroyer of all misfortune, charming, purifier, intoxicated, son of Durgā, and never indolent. He is the endless stream of nectar-like consciousness, the hero, the sole accomplisher of valor; his radiant crown is adorned with jewels, encircled by the tinkling of little bells. Bearing a trunk, his snout moves, he is coiled, adorned with a garland of skulls; his eyes are like lotuses, he holds a lotus in his hand, and is worshipped by Padmanabha. He is praised in hymns, adorned with a garland of human teeth, decorated with ornaments; he is Narada, the elephantine one, with restless ears, ears like winnowing baskets. Attainable by those seated in great delight, he pervades the three worlds; he is the life-giver, bestowing grace upon those bewildered in the realm of earth. His mighty ear-ends generate winds that conquer all directions; his great roar from his mouth overwhelms the terrifying shell of the universe. His vast feet stride across the seven netherworlds, causing them to tremble; he delights fiercely in battle, his great tusks exuding the essence of joy in combat. Such is the wondrous and many-faceted Lord, the remover of obstacles, the bestower of wisdom, the source and sustainer of all that exists.